With egg prices routinely up at the grocery store, more and more Americans are adding new two-legged friends into their households – backyard chickens.
A study published last year found that there are an estimated 85 million backyard chickens in the U.S., based on 13% of 131.2 million households owning chickens and an average of five chickens per household/owner. It said that figure actually rivals the populations of cats and dogs.
“There are also reports of further increases in non-commercial chicken numbers resulting from the COVID-19 lockdown,” said the study.
Backyard chickens can even be found in New York City, Audacy station 1010 WINS reported this month. There, NYC firefighters have been tending to their flocks while not out battling blazes.
Lt. Tommy Lane built a coop in his Grymes Hill, Staten Island, home last April.
“I have three little kids. They wanted a dog, so the Easter Bunny brought him chickens instead,” Lane said. “I started doing it. Our prices obviously started going up. Somebody who works with me, they brought the eggs in, and once you’ve had a fresh egg from the chicken you can't go back.”
At around the time that Lane started his flock, the price of eggs was once again on the rise thanks to an outbreak of avian influenza in multiple states throughout the country, per an Audacy report. Before that, prices were up at the start of 2023 and Dollar Tree even stopped selling them due to the inflated cost. By the end of 2023 more flu cases brought prices up again.
Avian flu outbreaks have since continued to contribute to rising egg prices. Audacy reported on Jan. 10 that prices were up 40% over the past year and later that month Audacy station WCCO News Talk in Minnesota reported that flu cases could cause prices to soar another 20% this year. After grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s, Costco, Kroger put limits on egg purchases and thieves snatched eggs from a café this month, consumers are now worried about chicken prices too.
While these concerns grow, so do the number of Americans interested in backyard flocks. In Fridley, Minn., a town with 17 active licenses, Community development director Scott Hickok explained that: “It’s as much about the experience and about the fresh eggs… and about kind of that feeling of ‘I’m doing some urban farming.”
Still, not all municipalities are supportive of backyard flocks. In Brooklyn Park, Minn., nearby Fridley, the city council did not approve an ordinance that would allow for backyard chickens.
“There were some concerns about the avian flu, the regulations, staff capacity to add that level of inspection or permitting,” said Brooklyn Park Inspections & Environmental Health Manager Jason Newby.
Concerns about avian flu linked to backyard flocks aren’t unfounded. Late last year, the first case of H5N1 bird flu in the U.S. that has been linked to exposure to a backyard flock resulted in the death of a Louisiana man.
Despite these concerns, Axios reported that “2025 is already shaping up to be a big year for backyard chickens,” according to Jenn Tompkins, co-owner of backyard chickens company Rent The Chicken. It said that 11 million U.S. households already have their own flocks and that they are the third most popular pet in the nation, citing the American Pet Products Association. That represents rapid growth since 2018.
Tompkins said that she is even taking reservations now across the country for backyard chicken rentals to start this April or May. Those interested should check their local regulations. For example, Axios reported that roosters are restricted in Dallas, Texas, and subject to noise ordinances, though hens are allowed. On the other hand, in nearby Fort Worth “residents on ½ acre lots can own up to 12 fowl, including no more than two roosters.” In Plano, Texas, residents are required to apply for a permit to own backyard chickens.